


Ours to Light on Fire

by Mikkal



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Drabble, Fantasy AU, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, a little bit of, context clues are important ive heard, random and rushed, surprisingly enough lacking my usual angst, westhallen week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-24
Updated: 2016-03-24
Packaged: 2018-05-28 17:37:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6338707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mikkal/pseuds/Mikkal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p></p><blockquote>
  <p><br/><i></i><br/>Barry lurches for him, and falls short, looking unsure. “Thea messaged me a few hours ago.” He shakes his head. “That’s where I’ve been, investigating. It’s true. Magali has already targeted Starling.”</p>
  <p>Iris swallows, her heart racing. “Are they all right?”</p>
  <p>Linda nods. “The Archers took her down. She escaped somewhere, but Barry set up a barrier to keep her and the rest of the Acolytes out of Starling.”</p>
</blockquote>In which they learn Eobard is back after two years and this time it won't be as easy as before to push him back. Which is pretty awful because it was terribly difficult the first time around.
            </blockquote>





	Ours to Light on Fire

**Author's Note:**

> i feel like I over-power barry a lot, but oh well

Iris spots him first, slinking at the edge of the crowd in the shadows, twisting around tables and through chattering groups in fine dress. Graceful, cat-like. She narrows her eyes at him, catching the faint tinge of magic around him, and tightens her grip on the pommel of her sword. He catches her graze and grins, dipping a chin in her direction before swiping a chocolate strawberry from a passing platter.

            Oh, this isn’t going to be good, is it?

            She turns to inform Eddie only to find him still wrapped up in his conversation with the Opal Kingdom’s _magiaj._ His fingers wrapped around the too-blue gem at his throat, his knuckles pale, and she can tell he already knows.

            Iris waits patiently, like a good—okay, to be honest, she could never claim to be a good _kavalira_. She never really liked the traditional roles forced for the guardians of magic, especially when her _steli_ blood meant so much more than a lowercased _guardian_. No one from Central Kingdom can ever be less than the most they can become. It’s confusing and non-traditional, but it’s served them well.

            She doesn’t jump when Eddie walks up behind her, his hand on her hip and lips close to her ear. She’s short enough that when he rests his chin on her shoulder he bows ever-so-slightly.

            “When did he get here?” he asks quietly, breath hot on her skin.

            Iris grins, leaning into him. “Ten minutes ago,” she says, equally soft. “He’s been stealing strawberries the entire time.”

            He snorts. “Of course.”

            Barry’s made his way to the opposite side of the room already, his head bowed in close conversation with…is that Linda? The _brilon_ from Keystone? Her face is hidden by shadow, but based on the flash of silver gauntlets around her forearms and the carvings that is definitely the light _magiaj._

            The closer Iris gets the more her stomach twists in knots, dread pooling thickly. The expression on Barry’s face twisted, dark… _scared_.

            “Barry,” Eddie breathes before she gets the chance. He takes a small step away from her, never lifting his hand, and brushes the tips of his fingers across the red fabric draped across Barry’s shoulders. “What happened?”

            Linda frowns, a silver glint in her eyes, as Barry takes a deep breath, dragging a hand down his face, grabbing the back of his neck. He glances up at them through his lashes, a fire in his gaze.

            “Eobard has returned.”

            Eddie’s grip slackens, falling from her hip. He takes a step back, face pale, his eyes glowing brighter. “ _What?_ ” he hisses.

            Barry lurches for him, and falls short, looking unsure. “Thea messaged me a few hours ago.” He shakes his head. “That’s where I’ve been, investigating. It’s true. Magali has already targeted Starling.”

            Iris swallows, her heart racing. “Are they all right?”

            Linda nods. “The Archers took her down. She escaped somewhere, but Barry set up a barrier to keep her and the rest of the Acolytes out of Starling.”

            Barry takes her hand, thumbing over her knuckles. “Can you take a trip and reinforce them? You know my defensive magic is awful.”

            “Of course.”

            It’s in a single heart beat they both turn their attention to the pale Eddie. His breath is too fast, too shallow, but he seems to still be on the good side of hyperventilating. As in, not there yet. She takes a step back and lets Barry move closer to him, brushing his fingers on either side of Eddie’s neck, a low hum in the back of his throat. It’s by Grace no one notices them standing there, Iris thinks, until she realizes Linda’s eyes are a bit brighter than before. No, it’s by Linda no one notices them.

            Eddie’s breathing steadies, deepens, his shoulders loosening until he leans forward, dropping his forehead on Barry’s shoulder. Barry’s still humming and Iris finds her heart rate slowing as well to the lullaby of his song.

            She lets them have their moment for a little longer and is content with waiting forever, but Barry’s hand stretches out to her, urging her closer.

            Iris presses close to where their bodies meet, wedging herself between them. A rumble of laughter build’s in Eddie’s chest, loud in her ears. She grins and huddles against Barry. His kisses her ear, making her squirm.

            “You guys are adorable, seriously, my teeth ache,” Linda teases.

            It’s Eddie that pulls away first, his golden color coming back to his cheeks, his too-blue fading to something more natural. “We need to gather the League,” he says. “We need a plan.”

            Iris drags the pad of her finger along the top of her hand, connecting the star-freckles that make up The Messenger, already thinking of Kendra and Carter, Cisco and Patty, Caitlin and Ronnie. The Archers already have to be away, there’s no need to contact them. She hesitates, maybe Laurel? It’s on and off when she’s with the Archer or if she’s with the Birds of Prey.

            “I think Iris is already on that,” Barry says, amusement making his tone light and airy. It’s only a little forced.

            Of the three of them, Eddie and Barry have it worse when it comes to Eobard. The bloodline of Thawne is shared between Eddie and their villain. Magic and tragedy connect Barry to him.

Magic like Eobard’s is very, very rare, what’s even rarer is someone else having it as well—but the day Eobard stormed the Allen House and murdered Nora in front of her son with magic so powerful they never had a body to bury is the day a normal, only-slightly-royal, non-magical boy gained the spark of the _fulmo’cimo_ and was never human again.

            Instead, Iris is left with…a siren, a cheetah, a magiaj, a steli, a _magic_ held together by will-power alone. Well, will-power, luck, and hope.

            “We _will_ stop him,” Iris says firmly. “I’ll take his head with my sword if I have to, if that’s what finally puts him down. Obviously the Barrier didn’t keep him trapped for eternity like Hunter promised it would.”

            “Jay did say not to trust him,” Linda chirps. Her expression is solemn despite the cheery tune.

            Eddie links their arms together. “We should find somewhere more private to discuss this, before Linda drains herself.”

            “Right.”

            Linda blinks rapidly, the light fading just a bit. “Thanks for noticing, Eds.” She pats Barry’s shoulder. “Keep in touch, let me know where the meeting is, yeah? I need food.” She waits for Barry to nod before she dips her chin and swooshes out of the shadows, the skirts of her black and silver dress rustling with her exaggerated twists.  

            Eddie goes to follow her, but Iris doesn’t move. He raises an eyebrow, confused and amused. She tugs on his collar, bringing him down to kiss him lightly, more of a brush of lips than anything else. But he lets out gusty sigh, losing even more hidden tension.

            Barry makes a noise in the back of his throat. “This is going to be a nightmare, isn’t? It was awful the first time around.”

            Awful is an understatement.

            There’s a darkness in Barry’s eyes, shadowing the gold speckled throughout the green of his irises. Iris reaches for him and he comes willingly. He ducks his head and kisses the corner of her mouth, making her grin, and that’s when he kisses her fully, smiling into it as well.

            “My turn.”

            Eddie pulls on Barry’s collar lightly, twirling him around and dipping him slightly, just like their bonding ceremony all over again. Sometimes he loved the theatrics, he dipped both of them that day. And to think she once thought Barry to be a drama-king.

            Their kiss is just as short as the other two, their time precious at this point. Their pause is a luxury they can’t really afford to take. _Fulmo’cimo_ move fast, the legends say, and she’s seen it first hand in modern times and two people.

            Two years of peace had been too much to ask for and she’s surprised they received it.

            She much less-surprised of when it shatters.

**Author's Note:**

> Eobard is defeated, Eddie dies. Barry disappears in a burst of magic. And Iris is left alone to defend the world against something released from the Barrier. They call him _la nigra fulmo_ , or _Zoom_.


End file.
